When Matt King first got on Facebook eight years ago, the blind engineer had to weigh whether it was worth spending an entire Saturday morning checking whether a friend of his was actually in his friend list. Such were the tools at the time for the visually impaired – almost nonexistent.
Today, thanks to text-to-audio software, it just takes a few seconds for him to accomplish the same task. And because of a new face recognition service the social network is rolling out, he can now learn which friends are in photos, even those who haven’t been tagged by another user.
NEWS
World’s First Wearable Phone Makes Calls from FINGERNAIL
The world’s first wearable tech nail that doubles up as a phone has been unveiled by mobile operator O2, claiming to let users literally “talk to the hand”.
Apple Reduces Speed of Older iPhones, Report Suggests
A new analysis of performance data has reignited the debate over whether Apple intentionally slows down older iPhones.
Students Learn to Enhance Computers and Robots with Touch for the Blind
Students in Allison Okamura’s freshman Introductory Seminar designed touch-based devices to help pedestrians navigate, enhance a classic game and create depth perception for the blind.
VIP: Get a Good Dongle
In this week’s VIP, Nelson and James discuss the top stories from assistive tech and give you some Cool Picks to think about.
A Bitcoin Whitepaper Braille Version is Now Available
In 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto released the whitepaper ‘Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash system.’ Soon after its release, the whitepaper was translated into numerous languages and is available for free online; now there is an effort underway to produce the documents in tactile form.
Facebook’s Snooze Button Silences Annoying Friends for 30 Days
Facebook’s “Snooze” button allows users to mute people, Pages, and Groups for 30 days. This is beneficial if you find someone’s posts very annoying, but do not want to unfriend them for whatever reason. Snooze also allows Pages and Groups to retain less-active users that would otherwise unlike a page or leave a group.
Cataract Surgeries Valued Over $250,000 Done Free for 25 Patients
Dr Ronnie Bhola, 48, is the director and consultant ophthalmologist at the Caribbean Vitreous & Retina Surgery Limited (CVRS Ltd) and currently, the chairman of the Trinidad Eye Hospital. He is a British-trained eye consultant with sub-specialty training in vitreous and retina surgery and is currently an associate lecturer with the University of the West Indies and an adjunct professor with the Moran Eye Institute.
Here is Santa’s List of Toys to Avoid This Holiday Season
Some of the hottest toys this year may not be the best gift for your child. About a quarter of a million children are seen in hospital emergency departments in the U.S. each year due to toy-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Nearly half of those injuries were to the head and face, including the eyes. And about 35 percent of toy-related injuries are sustained by children under age 5. That’s why the American Academy of Ophthalmology wants to remind parents and grandparents to take care when choosing gifts for children. Common toy-related eye injuries range from a minor scratch to the front surface of the eye (corneal abrasion) to serious, sight-threatening injuries such as traumatic cataract, bleeding inside the eye, retinal detachment, and even permanent vision loss.
How Jinni Gets Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant Into One Portable Device
Want to access Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant from one device without any other hardware? Jinni—pronounced “genie”—helps you do just that by offering a take-along device you can use almost anywhere, even if you don’t own an Echo or Google Home.
You must be logged in to post a comment.